Ghanaian women in media want Kona bouncer to face trial

In a statement signed by the convenor of the Alliance, Shamima Muslim Alhassan said they demanded that the case “be treated as a matter of criminal assault."Convenor of Alliance for Women in the Media; Shamima Muslim Alhassan

The Alliance for Women in the Media Africa, AWMA has strongly condemned the physical abuse meted out to a customer by a bouncer of Kona Bar and Grill at Osu in Accra.

The incident which occured over the weekend has resulted in the bouncer getting arrested by the police and the management of Kona Bar and Grill ahs issued an apology on facebook.

Shamima Muslim Alhassan, the convener of AWMA signed a statement demanding the perpetrator faces trail and the appropriate sanctions given.

AWMA says it supports the victim and also wants the issue to be treated as the criminal assault it is. They also require Kona Bar and Grill to issue a policy for dealing with violence at their workplace.

The Alliance for Women in the Media issues this statement to condemn the violence suffered by PORTIA ASANTEWA DUAH on Friday 18 August at Kona Bar and Grill, Osu, Accra. Ms Portia Asantewa Duah was allegedly slapped twice in her face by a bouncer named BB at the above establishment. The incident was reported to the establishment’s Manager. The Manager’s response was that she, and the group who accompanied her, should simply let the incident go.

According to Ms Portia Asantewa Duah, below is a record of what happened on Friday 18 August.

THE INCIDENT

Ms Portia Asantewa Duah was with a group of friends at this restaurant and was asked to leave by a bouncer, named BB, who alleged they had not bought drinks and were simply occupying space. One of Miss Duah’s friends explained this was not the case. They had bought drinks; the waitress had simply cleared their table. This bouncer did not accept this explanation. Ms Portia approached a waitress and asked for a receipt as evidence of drinks purchased. Ms Portia began to speak with her friends explaining the incident was embarrassing. The bouncer told Ms Portia to keep quiet; he was not speaking with her. He then slapped her across her face, twice. Ms Portia sustained swollen and red eyes from the slap. Her shocked friends approached the manager to relay what had happened. The Manager’s response was that they should let the incident go.

AFTERMATH

On Saturday 19 August, Madame Portia spent an entire day – from 9am to 11pm - dealing with this traumatic incident. She went to two different hospitals as the first did not have an eye clinic, then to the police station and then had to deal with the police’s bureaucracy. She has since spent GHC300 on seeking medical attention and getting a medical report for the police.